Kerf-cutting machine



Feb. 18, 1936. F. A. LINDGREN KERF CUTTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16,

.ZiZV/Lfdf' ran/1% Ql Z710 v lww Patented F eb. 18, 1936 UNITED: STAT KER-.F-CUTTING; MACHINE Frank A. Lindgren, Western. Springs,.Ill.,.assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois;

Application AugustlG, 1934, Serial N0..740;109

8 Claims.

'I'hisinventionrelates-toimprovements in kerfcutting machines, and-moreparticularly to kerfcutting machines of the-type that are slidable bodily upon the mine bottom while cutting; as,

for instance,- such machines of the continuous cutting and :longwall types.

The principal object of thespresent invention is to provide an improved form of device for tiltingthe machine,- or holding it-in various angular 13 adjustments with respect: to the mine floor while cutting a kerf. Morespecifically, the invention consists in providing-a novel form of tiltingshoe which can be readily attached or detached from the body of the kcrf-cutting machine, and is also capableaof beingchanged into reversed position,- so as to tilt the machine in either direction of cutting.

Other objects of 1 the invention will also. appear from the following detailed description of one 9g embodiment of; my invention, having reference to the accompanying. drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a plan view of a kart-cutting machine ofthe. continuous cutter-type, to whichmy improved tilting device. has been. applied;

5 Figure 2 is a. rear view of themachine'; shown in Figure 1, .with parts-gof the tilting device broken away, to show details'of construction thereof;

Figure 3 is:a fragmentary side View of the machine showing therear end. thereof and the tilt- 30 ing device in'partial section.

Referring now to-detailsof construction of. the embodimentof'the invention shown inithe drawing, the 'same' is shown as. appliedgto akerfi-cutting machine of the continuouscutter type; con- 35 sisting of a cutter bar: lfl-with an endlesscutter chain Ill of theiusual'type thereon, and a body portion II including a motor I2 with gearing at the forward. end for driving the cutter'chain, and other gearing in a frame member I3 at the rear 40- end thereof for driving'feedrop'e drums I4 and I5. The cutter chain andfeed rope drum drive gearing may be of any'well-known form, and since they form no .part of the. present invention they need not be shown nordescribed. in detail 45 herein.

The. rope. drums l4i-and I5 are providedwith flexible cables. I 6. and 11, respectively, which may be: selectively. trained,. as usual, in. various. arrangementsabouti guide sheaves. I8 or I9t at the 50 forward endof the machine, or sheaves.20,a2l.or

22.at the. rear endof the. machine, for the purpose of'moving.v the machine. over. the minefloor in its cutting operations; It will, of course, be understood thatduringsuch movements, the .body

55 I I of themachine is supported for sliding directly onthe mine bottom..

Referring now more particularly to the novel features of'my improved form of tilting device, the same is indicated generally at 25, and is here 60 shown as applied to the rear end of the machine.

(Cli 262 311) The deviceconsistsof-za plate.-26 forming ashoe forengagementwith the-minefloor, and sup- 1301136175011" the-body. o-the1machine?bydetachable connecting; devices, one. consisting; of? a hinge member-Handthe other consisting-of avertical 5 adjusting;memberg2 8..

The--hinge=-member 2] comprises an upright supporting link 29 -pivoted on-a pin+3ll carried in: a boss. 31 extending; upwardly from= the plate 25 and permanentlysecuredthereto, asby welding. The pin 30:; is; disposed;- transversely' of the plate 26 and, longitudinally of the machine body II; as shown. The; upper end of the link 29 is preferably fcrmed-integral with a: block 32, which is interchangeably: connectible with a. pair of brackets; 33,1 34:: projecting; from the rear frame portion .I 30f the machine atequal distances from the longitudinal axis-of the latter. In thepositicnrshown in' the drawing, the hinge block 32 is connected .tothe left;hand bracket 33, as viewed from therearoftthe-machine in F-igure 2. The connection. isa. afforded by providing saidblock withflanges 323i and32 at. the uppen and lower side edgesthereof andarranged so.-t hat the entire block is removably fitted between laterally z spacedrearwardly extending arms 33 and 33 of the bracket 33, ,as clearly; shown in Figures 1 and 2'. Thesblockw is heldvin place bysui-table means, suchasaa retaining-bar 35 held by-.removablepinsi36, 3.61:0 .lugs -31, 3 |atopposite sides of 3,0 the bracket 33..

As will be seen in Figured; the-- inner faces: of the arms 33 and 33 are-preferably formed-in convex shape where they engage the oppositesides of the hinge block 32, so. as-to afford comparative 35 freedom of lateral rocking movement of said block and: its. associated hinge connection relative to. the machine.

The: adjusting-member 2 8 "of the: shoe 2 B is .provided with adetachableblockll whichisofsubr 40. stantiallythe samesizeandshape-.asthe block 32 of the-=hinge.-memb er-g 2,1. The arrangementis therefore such; that .thezblocksBZ. and 42. may be interchangeablewith respect to thebrackets 33 and 34, byremoving said blocks from the brackets, reversingthe plate 26, end forend, and replacing said blocks.- inthe; opposite brackets.

The vertical adju ting, means consists of-a screw 43; depending from .the-;block 42- and suitably secured from;rotation therein, as by pin 44. Said screw extends downwardly and-is threaded in a nutlfi rotatably mountedron a boss 45 secured to thepla-te- 26.- Said: nut; has.- bearing on a base portion 41 of said boss, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and-3; An antigr-frictiondevice-49.0f-the usual balle'bearing type mambez-housedowithin. the base 41 of zsaidiboss and the 11111321453 togethen withsaid anti-friction device,=.mays'be:. retained in; position by aniupperl extension: 4.8"i0fi saidaboss; so a long as the screw 43 is threaded therein. This verti- 0 cal adjusting device may thus be permanently carried by the shoe, and the anti-friction means facilitates .adjustmento-f the tilting device.

The use and operation of the tilting device will now be understood. 'When the kerf-cutting machine is being operated so as to cut from right to left, as viewed in Figure 2, the hinge member '21 is preferably disposed, as shown in the left hand bracket 33. With this arrangement, the nut 46 may be turned so as to depress the plate or shoe 26 any desired amount, thus producing a corresponding elevation of the right side of the machine, and a downward inclination of the cutter bar Ill with respect to the mine bottom in the direction of cutting. It will be observed that the plate 26 hinges about a substantially fixed axis disposed at the left side of the machine bottom, but the curved shape of the arms of the brackets 33 and affords substantial freedom of lateral movement of the hinge pin 30 and rocking movement of adjusting screw 43, so as to readily accommodate the latter to various angular positions of adjustment of the tilting plate.

When it is desired to feed the machine for cutting in the opposite direction, or from left to right, the tilting plate is reversed end-to-end with the blocks 32 and 42 in mutually reversed positions. Moreover, when the tilting device is not needed, it can be easily removed as a unit from the machine, and again replaced when required.

It will be further understood that the tilting device can also be connected at other points intermediate the ends of a machine of the character here illustrated, and may also with Slight modifications be used on other types of machines, such as the longwall machine, in which type it may be convenient to extend it lengthwise of the body of the machine, as the cutter bar usually extends in cutting position from the side of the machine.

Although I have shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction or arrangement of parts herein shown and described, nor to the embodiment herein illustrated, excepting as specifically limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a kerf-cutting machine slidable on its own bottom on the mine floor, a shoe adapted to engage the mine floor, means for detachably connecting said shoe to said machine comprising means interchangeably connectible to said machine adjacent opposite sides of the latter, hinge means disposed between said shoe and one of said connecting means, and vertical adjusting means disposed between said shoe and the other of said connecting means.

2. In combination with a kerf-cutting machine slidable on its bottom on the mine floor, a shoe adapted to engage the mine floor, means connecting said shoe to said machine comprising two brackets rigidly connected to said machine and two members detachably fitting into said brackets to permit relative lateral rocking movement therebetween, one of said members having hinged connection with said shoe, and the other of said members having vertical adjustment relative to said shoe.

3. In combination with a kerf-cutting machine slidable on its own bottom on the mine floor, a shoe adapted to engage the mine floor, means interchangeably connecting the shoe to said machine in end-to-end reversed relation comprising a pair of similar brackets rigidly connected to said machine, two similarly shaped members detachably fitting from either side in supporting relation in said brackets, one of said'members having hinged connection with said shoe and the other of said members having vertical adjustment relative to said shoe.

4. In combination with a keri-cutting machine slidable on its own bottom on the mine floor, a shoe adapted to engage the mine fioor, means interchangeably connecting the shoe to said machine in end-to-end reversed relation comprising a pair of similar brackets rigidly connected to said machine, two similarly shaped members detachably fitting from either side in supporting relation in said brackets, one of said members having hinged connection with said shoe and the other of said members having vertical adjustment relative to said shoe and both of said members having limited rocking movement in their respective brackets in the plane of hinged movement of said shoe.

5. In combination with a kerf-cutting machine slidable on its bottom on the mine floor, a shoe extending across the rearward end of the machine adapted to engage the mine floor and form a continuation of the bottom of the machine,

a boss mounted adjacent one end of said shoe, a nut engaging said boss, a screw threaded in said nut, means detachably connecting the upper end of said screw in supporting relation to said machine, and hinge means detachably connecting the opposite end of said shoe in supporting relation to said machine.

6. In combination with a kerf-cutting machine slidable on its bottom on the mine floor, a shoe adapted to engage the mine floor, a boss mounted adjacent one end of said shoe, a nut engaging said boss, a screw threaded in said nut, means detachably connecting the upper end of said screw in supporting relation to said machine, and hinge means detachably connecting the opposite end of said shoe in supporting relation to said machine, the detachable connecting means for said screw and said hinge means being. mutually interchangeable with said shoe in reversed endto-end relation relative tosaid machine.

7. In combination with a kerf-cutting machine slidable on its bottom on the mine floor, a shoe adapted to engage the mine floor, a boss mounted adjacent one end of said shoe, a nut engaging said boss, a screw threaded in said nut, means detachably connecting the upper end of said screw in supporting relation to said machine, and hinge means detachably connecting the opposite end of said shoe in supporting relation to said machine, the detachable connecting means for said screw and said hinge means each affording, limited rocking movement in the plane of hinged movement of said shoe.

8. In combination with a kerf-cutting machine slidable on its bottom on the mine floor, a shoe adapted to engage the mine floor, a boss mounted adjacent one end of said shoe, anti-friction means housed in said boss, a nut rotatably mounted on said anti-friction means, means holding said nut from vertical displacement relative to said boss, a vertically disposed screw threaded in said nut and having its upper end connected to said machine, and hinge means connecting the opposite end of said shoe to said machine.

FRANK A. LINDGREN. 

